Birds Of A Feather-Book Two-Forever My Sister, My Best Friend
by Ria Shadowheart
Summary: Well, here we are with book two based on ME3. It will follow through the entire game. Just a random note that Angel will replace a squad mate every so often and if you don't like it well...sorrynotasari. In this book you get to meet Angel's parents and all kinds of other fun stuff. And possibly Angel and Garrus taking the next step in their romance? O o Who can say? ENJOY!
1. Chapter 1

A/N-Hey guys! So, here we are with book two! This one will start from the begining of ME3 and follow through to the very end! Anyways, let's dive right in!

 **Chapter One**

"I can't believe this…"

Shepard sighed as she looked at Earth as Joker took the Normandy out into space after leaving Anderson behind to help those that needed it.

"Commander, we have an incoming transmission from Hawkeye."

"Patch her through."

Shepard looked down at the console in front of her and saw Angel. Well, barley. She was breaking up and her image was shaky.

"Sis…we…need…evac…"

"Angel, where are you?"

"At…Dad…Mom's…not…mu…time…hurry…"

"Joker, I need you to take us to Missouri. Now!"

"But…"

"No buts! Angel needs us and her parents aren't soldiers…I'm not losing the only family I've actually known."

"Right Commander. Putting in the coordinates now."

~~~~~

Angel threw things into a backpack and glanced around her room, grabbing some more items off a shelf and the top of her dresser. She paused on a picture. A thousand memories flooded over her of that day. It was her and Shepard. They had just graduated high school. They looked so silly, flashing peace signs, grinning from ear to ear, Shepard's arm thrown over Angel's shoulders. She tossed it into her grey duffle bag and looked over at her cat, a full grown black panther, Ember. She knew something was going on as she paced nervously back and forth before Angel knelt in front of her and stroked her ears before hugging her neck.

"It's okay girl. I promise, I'm not leaving you behind. We're all going together. Now grab a few of your toys and put them in that bag. Go on girl. Only a few now."

Ember murred in response and trudged off as Angel resumed her packing. She paused once more on another picture, this one of her and Garrus. It had been taken right before Shepard had been relieved and everyone had gone their separate ways. He held her tightly in his lap, his chin resting on her head as she slept soundly. Once he had given it to her he explained that Shepard had taken it, preserving the momentary peace they had. She tossed it into a bag as well and looked around again. She was at her parent's house on vacation and this small room held so many memories…the deep purple had long since faded since her childhood. The glow in the dark stars had long since lost that glow. The wood of her dresser and bed frame had faded with time. She looked at the blanket and pillows and shoved them into a bag as well, refusing to let them go.

"Maybe I'm being stupid…but I can't abandon some of this stuff…"

She pulled out a small camera and took a photo of her room before grabbing her bags up and shutting the door, perhaps for the last time. She looked down at Ember who was keeping pace with her as they walked towards the front door where a few other bags, her parent's, sat waiting.

"Mom, Dad, hurry up. I know Shep will be here soon."

Her parents appeared from their own room and the both looked a little worse for wear as they smiled at her reassuringly. In her mother's arms was a bag of her art supplies and Angel smiled.

"Don't worry Mama, we'll find a place for everything."

She looked over at her father who was the one that had hardly packed anything as he had long since retired from his career as a scientist. He had a few personal effects, clothes, and had grabbed a few of the old photo albums. Angel hugged them tightly before noticing Ember tilting her head. Angel now heard it too, the sound of a ship hovering outside.

"That's the Normandy. Let's go!"

Angel opened the door to see Shepard and a couple of others running towards them. Shepard and Angel hugged one another quickly before she ordered the two others, Kaiden and James, to help with the bags. Shepard smiled at Mom and Dad before leading them to the Normandy. Ember followed closely behind Angel and she placed a hand on her head reassuringly.

"Thanks Shepard. I know…I know you were probably dealing with other things…"

"I'd never abandon you guys. Ever."

They boarded the ship and followed Shepard along as Joker pulled up and out, heading for space once more. Angel looked out a window and sighed. The house she had known since she was born was rapidly shrinking now, a small white speck.

"Please…let it still be there…"

She whispered to herself before kneeling again and petting Ember. The large cat was used to small shuttles or cruisers to go into town but not going into space.

"Shepard, where are we going?"

"Admiral Hackett wants us to head to Mars. There's something there that may help us in our fight with the Reapers."

"Well, if you need help just let me know."

"Angel?"

"I joined the N7 Program again."

Shepard paused and looked at her and now noticed the difference in Angel. She held herself higher now, and it was clear she had been keeping in peak physical condition. She had cut her hair as regulations wanted it kept short, it now hung just past her shoulders in two military style braids. She wore a black tank top and black cargo pants and black lace up combat boots that came to her knees.

"Holy shit…"

"Yea. I'm surprised at myself. But I'm ready to fight with you."

"Mom, Dad, is there anywhere you wanna go?"

"Yes dears. When you get a moment, just drop us off at the Citadel. If you remember, we have an apartment there. We'll bunker down there for now."

"Right. We'll head there after Mars. We need to go talk to the Council anyways. Until then, you're free to stay where you please."

"Thank you dear. You two better be careful out there."

"Angel, you okay?"

Shepard looked at her as she grabbed up her things and began following her parents.

"Well…I don't really wanna complain…"

"Complain about what?"

"Even before all this…Garrus stopped talking with me. So, I figured I'd go with Mom and Dad and find a place in the crew quarters or something…cuz I dunno if…"

"Angel, go to the battery. I'm sure it's okay. He's just bad at keeping contact…I know that."

"Promise…?"

"Promise. And when we run into him, I'll personally kick his ass for making you worry."

"Alright. Sounds good to me. Let me know when you're ready to go if you need me to go to Mars with you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Angel laid her pillows and blanket out and placed a pallet down for ember who purred happily as she stretched out on it and chewed on a bone. Angel smiled and leaned against the railing.

"I missed you Normandy. You too EDI."

"It is good to have you back Hawkeye."

"Can you make a note that when we get to the Citadel we need to pick up some meat? Ember has a strict diet."

"Of course. Commander Shepard says she will not need you to go to Mars but wishes for you to prepare your gear for our next mission."

Angel looked down at her bags and unzipped a large black one and pulled out her armor and weapons. The armor was similar in design to Shepard's own, although it was a dark shade of blue compared to Shepard's purple. She sorted through and checked each gun, checking over her clips and looked around and saw the weapon bench Garrus had used. She placed her weapons on one side and hung her armor up in the small locker beside it.

~~~~~

"Joker, set a course for the Citadel."

Said Shepard as they boarded after returning from Mars. She walked into the med bay where Angel was setting up her medical supplies, Kaiden over her shoulders. She lay him down on one of the beds and Angel began looking him over and looked at Liara and Shepard.

"Shepard, he needs medical attention. My supplies here are limited. We need to get to the Citadel asap."

"Liara, EDI, see what you can figure out from that thing there."

"What is that?"

"Something from Cerberus. It took the data we needed."

"Creepy."

~~~~~

"Commander Shepard, we got word you were arriving."

They turned to see Bailey and he shook Shepard's hand.

"Bailey, good to see you again."

"Shepard, I'm gonna go with Mom and Dad and throw some of my things out and then I'll meet you all back on the Normandy."

Angel said before walking off with her parents who both hugged Shepard tightly.

"Shepard, you two keep an eye on one another, okay?"

Said their mother with a smile.

"I will…Mom."

"I'll meet you in Udina's office."

Liara said before walking off as well.

"And what about you?"

Said Bailey looking to James.

"I'm just a civilian today."

Shepard walked to the elevator and took it to the hospital where she walked out and looked around. Off to the side she saw Dr. Chakwas.

"Dr. Chakwas, you're here."

"I've been working down in an R&D in the Wards and coordinating closely with Admiral Hackett. I heard one of yours was critically wounded. I came as quick as I could."

"We ran into a Cerberus synthetic on Mars. Kaiden took the worse of it. How is he?"

"Very well all things considering. I'm amazed at Major Alenko's resilience. I wish I could have been there with you to help on Mars."

"You belong on the Normandy. Not some lab here."

"I couldn't agree more. Just say the word."

"Grab your stuff. We're in Bay D-24."

"Will do Commander. And thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Remember Joker's still aboard."

"And I highly doubt he's been remembering to take his medication."

Dr. Chakwas walked off and Shepard began heading for Kaiden's room. She walked inside and stood there, staring at his unconscious body.

"Hey Kaiden. Don't know if you can hear me…but since you can't tell me to get the hell out, I'll take my chances. You can beat this. Don't die on us Kaiden. Seeing you out there again…it reminded me that you're one hell of a solider. Fight. We need you. I need you."

The doctor walked in and paused behind her before she turned to him.

"You need anything doctor, let me know."

She began walking out and paused at the door.

"Get better soon. And that's an order."

~~~~~

Shepard walked into Udina's office where she was greeted by an Asari who was his assistant. She followed her to the chambers where the Council was already in session.

"Every Councilor planet is being hit. Earth is no less important than our own home worlds."

Said the Turrian councilman as he looked at Udina.

"Yes, but Earth was the first council home world attacked. By that, it has taken the full brunt of this."

"And who's to say this is the brunt of the Reaper's attack?"

Chimed in the Salarian councilwoman.

Liara sighed and shook her head as Shepard walked up beside her.

"It's true. Earth was attacked. We need everything you have."

"Isn't this a fool's errand? If we focus all our forces on Earth and it fails, what then?"

"We need a weapon to defeat them…"

"We have that weapon. It is of Prothean design."

Said Liara pulling the schematics up on her omni tool.

"It's massive."

"Yes."

"How can we be sure of this? The Protheans were wiped out be the Reapers."

"They never had a chance to complete it. It's missing something that is only referred to as the Catalyst."

"Shepard, do you believe in this? After what you've seen of the Reapers?"

Asked the Turrian councilman as he looked to her.

"If Liara believes it can work, so do I. And while I haven't always seen eye to eye with Udina, he's right. We need to stand together. The Reapers won't stop at Earth. They'll destroy every organic being unless we all come together."

"The council cannot help Earth. We must secure our own borders first."

Said the Asari councilwoman as she exchanged looks with the Salarian councilwoman.

"We are conveying a meeting of our species. If we can secure our world, we may be able to aid you."

Said the Salarian councilwoman.

"I cannot make any promises Commander. We will do our best to provide aid but that is all I can say."

The Asari, Salarian, and Turrian left as Udina looked down and then to Shepard.

"Shepard, meet me in my office."

~~~~~

"They're not understanding that we need them! They're running scared!"

Ranted Udina as he paced back and forth in front of Shepard.

The doors hissed open and the Turrian councilman walked in and looked at them.

"I have a proposition. Our home world is under attack and getting hit hard. If you can get to Primarch Fedorian…he's essential to our summit. If the Normandy could fly in and get him undetected…"

"You want me to save his ass in the hopes he'll agree to help Earth."

"Put bluntly? Yes. Gain an ally in the hopes of getting things together. Hell, I shouldn't even be telling you this. Our intel says he's fighting on one of our larger moons. Get there, and you've gained help."

She sighed and looked at Udina as the Turrian councilman began walking out.

"Oh, and one more thing. The council has agreed to reinstate your Spectere status. It'll open up certain…resources."

He left and she turned to Udina.

"Well, that's a start."

"I guess. I'll talk to the others and see what I can do. If you need anything, let me know."

~~~~~

It was a desolate spot. It was covered in shadows. Shepard stood in her armor and she looked around. Ahead of her was the young boy she had seen on Earth. He ran off as she moved slowly towards him, then he disappeared. She paused and looked around once more and saw him in the distance. This time she caught up with him but the sound of the Reapers rang through and a pulsing red light appeared. The child stood and looked up at her and began to burn. She woke up with a startled gasp and sat up in bed before swinging her legs over the side and holding her head. A knock caused her to look up and she walked out to see Liara.

"Liara, can I help you?"

"I've been sending blueprints to the Turrian councilman. But he won't budge on it until their Primarch is safe."

"I know."

"Shepard…are you alright?"

"I didn't get what you would call a good night's rest."

"There's more to it than that. What's really bothering you?"

"When we left I could hear people screaming in the street's below me…we left a lot of them behind…"

"You can't save all of them…but I know you'll do your best. And we will get back to Earth."

"I hope you're right…"

"Don't blame yourself Commander."

The elevator hissed open behind them and they looked to see a young woman walking towards them.

"Commander, I'm Specialist-Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were alone.

"It's fine. I was just leaving."

Liara brushed past her and headed into the elevator as the girl saluted.

"Commander, I'm Specialist Samantha Traynor. I'm part of the Alliance R&D. I was one of those helping retrofit the Normandy after you turned her over to the Alliance. There weren't many of us on board when the Reapers hit…"

"Calm down Specialist Traynor. You're doing fine. Why don't you tell me about those retrofits?"

Shepard lead her into her cabin and the two spoke for a while as Traynor showed Shepard everything on the data pad in her hands.

"It's pretty much still the same ship, just flies Alliance colors. Oh, speaking of, I believe Admiral Hackett wishes to speak to you on vid comm."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Hackett appeared on vid comm in front of Shepard.

"Commander, Udina updated me on the council. It sounds like they're running scared."

"We presented them with a lot of unknowns. They want proof, not theories."

"So, what's your plan?"

"We're going to go rescue the Turrian Primarch."

"Good. Secure an alliance. We need every species in this fight."

"And the Prothean device?"

"Give me anyone who can work on it. And if you can't get me that give me ships, fighters, supplies."

"And what about Earth sir?"

"We just have to hope Anderson and what's left of the Alliance forces can hold out until we've dealt with the enemy. I'll be expecting progress reports from you. Hackett out."

~~~~~

All around the orbit of Palavan, Reapers were anilating the Turrian forces. The Normandy came out of warp drive and the shuttle was dropped from the bay below. Shepard, Liara, and Angel were riding along as they looked at the small screen showing Palavan.

"No…no…not Palavan."

Liara wringed her hands as Angel closed her eyes, praying silently.

"Sis, he's alright."

"I hope so. If I lose him…I…"

"Commander! The LZ is getting swarmed!"

Yelled Cortez.

"Angel, open that hatch."

She nodded and hit the button, the door flying open.

"Angel, time to show us what you've learned."

Husks were running around on the ground below and Shepard took a few shots before the shuttle landed.

"Let's move it people!"

The three of them ran out and began firing at the husks running towards them. Shepard watched Angel out of the corner of her eye and smirked as she saw that she hadn't lost her touch. Even though she had failed early on in the Program, she was still a perfect shot. She took a few out with her rifle and others with a warp or throw. She was matching Shepard and Liara as they ran to the Turrian camp.

Once inside they looked around and saw the General commanding a few troops to go off.

"General?"

"Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming but I didn't believe it. General Corinthus at your service."

"We're here to get Primarch Fedorian."

He paused and looked over at them before looking down at the panel he was typing away on once more.

"Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shut down as it was leaving the moon."

"That's gonna complicate things. I'm sorry. I heard he was a good man."

"And a friend. He would have made a great diplomat."

"So, now what?"

"The Turrian line of succession is clear."

Liara stated.

"Right. General?"

"With so many casualties I can't tell who's still alive. Palavan Command would know. I can't raise them though as our comm tower is out. Husks are swarming it so we can't get in to repair it."

"Don't worry General. I'll get your tower back up."

The three of them began heading out the other side of the camp and to the comm tower.

They ran past a few Turrians who warned them of the husks ahead.

"They overwhelmed us…good luck!"

They took cover and fired as the husks ran towards them and Angel shivered as she sent them flying away with throw after throw.

"Angel, are you okay?"

"Yea. Just…creepy as hell. Nightmare fuel."

"Just stay focused."

They got to the comm tower and Shepard typed on the panel and sighed.

"We can't repair it from this panel. Liara, get up there."

"Right. If you could keep any husks from following me I'd appreciate it."

"You ready Angel?"

"Hell yea. Let's do this!"

They both took aim as the husks began appearing, running towards them. They fired off a few rounds and slammed some of them around with their biotics.

"Shepard, I've made the repairs. I'm coming down now."

Liara climbed down as Shepard radioed the General.

"General, we've fixed the comm tower."

"Great job Commander. I'll contact Palavan Command."

"Call me back when you've learned something. I'll help your men till then. Shepard out."

The three of them stood together, taking out the husks as they charged at them, firing with everything they had until Shepard's radio crackled.

"Commander, I've got word from Palavan Command. Return asap."

The three of them began running back to the camp and approached General Corinthus.

"What have you got General?"

"As your friend stated, Turian succession is usually easy. But right now with so many dead or MIA…"

"I need someone, I don't care who."

"We'll get you that someone. Don't worry Shepard."

Came a voice from the other side of the ramp and Garrus appeared. Angel sighed in relief as Liara placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, telling her to remain calm.

"Garrus!"

Shepard exclaimed.  
"Valkaren, sir I didn't see you there."

"At ease General. Good to see you Shepard, Liara…and…Angel?"

She grinned as she slid her rifle onto her back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yup. I rejoined the N7 Program and decided to help kick some serious ass."

He chuckled and held an arm out and she walked over and hugged him tightly as he held her to him.

"We've found our next successor."

"His name is Adrian Victus."

"Victus? His name's crossed my desk."

Liara said softly.

"Garrus, you know him?"

Shepard asked as she looked up at him.

"Yea. Hell of a good solider. Was fighting with him this morning. Not so good with military command though. Likes to play lose with solid strategy."

"Can he get the job done?"

"You and I both know conventional tactics won't work. I trust him."

"Then let's get him on the shuttle and get out of here."

"We're trying to raise him, Commander."

said the General.

"Commander! You there?"

Joker said.

"Can this wait Joker? We're in the middle of a war zone."

"Sorry Commander but no. It's the Normandy. She's acting odd. Like she's possessed. Turning weapons on and lights off."

"Have the Normandy standing by, we may have to bug out."

"Want me to go take a look?"

Liara asked.

"Do it."

'Incoming Harvester!"

A Harvester flew overhead, screeching loudly as everyone fired on it, to no effect.

Tell Victus we'll rendezvous here. In the meantime, let's go see what that thing dropped off. You coming Garrus?"

"Hell yea."

Angel smirked and loaded another clip into her rifle and nodded.

"Let's show these bastards."

They ran out to the airfield and took cover and began firing at the oncoming husks. Other creatures appeared and Angel looked over at Garrus and Shepard.

"Don't those Reapers look like Turian?"

"Yea…they do."

They kept shooting and Angel released a few slams and chuckled.

"Hey sis, remember all those years of me playing basketball? I feel that somehow helped that power!"

"It very well might cuz you're snapping those husks in half."

"Hell yea!"

"That's my girl."

"I'm not so innocent or fragile anymore for damn sure."

They kept taking the husks and what were now identified as marauders, and soon the field was cleared.

"Commander, we still can't raise the Primarch but we have a problem at the main barricade. If the Reapers get through there we're done for."

"On our way!"

The ran back through the came and climbed the ladder to the top of the barricade and Shepard jumped onto the big gun and began firing as Garrus and Angel covered from the sides.

"Damn, this is way more fun than I thought it would be."

"Oh boy…Angel, I hope you're not turning into a hardcore solider like the rest of us."

Chuckled Shepard.

"So what if I am? Come on. A medical doctor, scientist, and solider. I'm a deadly combo."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Heheheh!"

The husks seemed to dissipate and the ground shook and the saw a large creature charging towards them.

"What the fuck is that?!"

Angel yelled.

"Brace yourselves!"

It hit the barricade and the three of them fell to the ground.

"Find some cover and take that thing down!"

They did so and took turns firing while fighting off more husks. Angel cursed and threw up a biotic barrier, throwing husks off of her before she threw some frag grenades at the large creature. Which seemed to only piss it off as it charged at her.

"Ah shit!"

She ran off from where she had been and slid around behind Garrus and fired off a couple of rounds.

"I think it's mad at me now."

"What gave you that idea?"

Garrus raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned bashfully as Shepard took the killing shot.

"Commander, we still can't raise the Primarch."

"Then we're going in on foot. Garrus, take us to where you last saw Victus."

They began running along down a winding path, keeping their wits about them as they did.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"How far?"

Shepard asked as they jogged along.

"Not far as long as we don't run into any trouble."

Garrus replied as he jumped up onto a ledge followed by Shepard and Angel. The then slid down an embankment and they paused as Garrus looked up at Palavan.

"Look at Palavan…you see that big blaze of orange? That's where I was born."

"Any family…?"

Angel asked softly.

"My father…a sister."

"I'm sorry…how many lost?"

"Three million the first day…five the second."

"That's rough hun…but at least you guys are still kicking."

"Yes. But how long before the fight is kicked out of you? If only they had listened to Shepard's warning about the Reapers…we might have been better prepared."

"I dunno…something like this…can someone really ever truly be prepared to face it?"

The jogged along in silence once more, rounding corners and jumping up on ledges. Angel paused and tilted her head to the side and turned to slam the butt of her rifle into the face of a husk behind her.

"Creepy ass bastards! Ugh! We got more incoming!"

Husks climbed up to them and attacked from front and behind and they took them out quickly enough before jogging along once more.

"These things are everywhere…all over…I can't even think about my home…"

"It's gonna be bad all over sis. Just try not to think about it."

"Right…"

They came upon some Turians, some wounded, some still fighting.

"Solider, you alright?"

"Yes sir. We'll be alright."

"Have you seen Victus?"

"Yes. Heading south about an hour ago."

They kept pushing forward, heading south now. A ship was taken out be a Harvester and crashed in front of them, Angel squealing in surprise.

"That was a little closer than I'd like!"

Yelled Garrus before ruffling Angel's hair again.

"That certainly makes me feel a bit better in all this. Hearing that."

"Well…don't get used to it."

They jogged along once more in silence until Angel spoke up.

"Sis, do you really think this summit will work? Turians? Salarians? Where's the Krogans and Batarians? Where's the meat?"

"It's not that easy."

Shepard replied.

"Batatrians were hit first. Not much of them left. And the Krogen have never forgiven us for the genophage."

"Right. Turians sterilized them."

"The Salarians came up with it."

"And the Krogan hate them both for it."

Shepard stated.

"So, they won't be joining us."

The ran along and saw a Reaper ahead of them and then heard shots and gunshots from the camp to the side of them.

"That didn't sound good!"

Yelled Angel.

"Alright, double time people!"

They all broke into a sprint and ran inside and took cover, popping off round after round at a nearby Cannibal.

"Move into the compound!"

They did so, finding cover where they could and they caught sight of another brute.

"Holy hell, not another one of these…"

Angel tsked and hit it with a few warps as Shepard and Garrus fired at it.

"Fuck…two more of them! Oh my god…this is getting ridiculous…"

The three of them pushed through, taking out every single enemy they faced until the camp was cleared. They saw Victus in the distance and approached.

"General Victus?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy."

"Ahh, I've heard of you Commander. I can't wait to hear about this. Valkarian, where did you go off to?"

"Attack from a Harvester on the rear flank. I believe your exact words were 'get that thing the hell off my men.'"

"Much obliged."

"General, you're needed off world."

"It's going to take something of vast importance to get me to leave my men, my turian brothers and sisters."

"Fedorian is dead. You're the new Primarch."

Victus paused and looked at Garrus before looking up at Palavan.

"We're conveying a summit and we need you there to help us in the fight against the Reapers."

Said Shepard.

"I'm the new Primarch? The turian speaker? I can't be a diplomat. I hate diplomats."

"War is your resume. Right now, we need that. I need the turian fleet."

He paused and looked back at her and nodded.

"Give me a moment to say goodbye to my men."

He walked off as Angel and Garrus joined Shepard.

"If he leaves there's a good chance we lose this moon."

Garrus said.

"If he stays there's a good chance we lose everything."

"Look at that."

Garrus said as they looked up at a Reaper.

"They want my opinion on how to defeat that? Failed C-Sec officer, vigilante…do you really think we have a chance Shepard?"

"I dunno Garrus…all I do know is we have to try."

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm with you."

"Good to have you onboard."

He shook her hand and Angel grinned.

"Ready to go Primarch Victus?"

"Commander, while I appreciate your need for turian support, I cannot provide it. Not while my world is burning. If the pressure could somehow be taken off Palavan…"

"That's a pretty tall order."

"We need the krogan. Get them on our side and we can help Earth."

~~~~~

Shepard groaned as she walked out of the vid comm room and rolled her shoulders. She had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince the Asari councilwoman to join the summit. The Salarian Dalatrass was livid as well.

She walked out of the War Room and began walking towards the scanners as the lights flickered.

"Commander, EDI just went offline."

"What do you mean 'offline'?"

"I dunno but she's not responding and I can't reach the AI Core. You better get down to Deck 3."

~~~~~

She walked into the medical bay and looked over at Dr. Chakwas and Angel.

"Shep, is everything okay?"

"That's what I'm hoping to find out."

She walked over to the doors that lead to the AI Core and radioed Joker as she heard noises from the other side.

"What's that noise?"

"Fire extinguishers. Could be an electrical fire…or something."

One of the engineers scanned the door with his omni tool and nodded, singling that it appeared to be safe.

"I'm going in."

Shepard opened the door and the other engineer walked in, spraying the extinguisher, taking out some small fires here and there.

"EDI, talk to me."

From the smoke came none other than Dr. Eva's body, strolling along casually, her orange visor lighting up from behind the smoke.

"Is there a particular subject you'd wish to discuss, Shepard?"

"EDI…you're in Dr. Eva's body."

"Not completely. It was not a seamless transition. I am in control of it however."

"You should have told us before you did this. It was dangerous."

"Telling the crew would have been counter productive. It would have taken up time."

"So, are you still part of the ship as well or…?"

"Yes. For optimal use, this body should stay within range of the Normandy."

"Are you planning on taking that body somewhere?"

"The Normandy's weapons are not suited for all combat situations. With this, I could do more."

"You mean you could come with us?"

"Correct."

"I want you to make sure this mech has no surprises. Run some tests and then we'll talk about taking it out for combat."

"One moment—I am running some tests. Complete. I can send them to you if you like."

"Just uhh…don't be surprised if the crew is a little wary of your new body. It was just shooting at them a little while ago."

"Yes. I should have the ship resume normal function to let them all know it'll be alright. And I'll head to the bridge. Joker would like to see it as well."

"On that we can agree on." 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Angel stretched her arms above her head as she walked into the battery, stripping off her armor and tossing it into the locker as Ember trudged over to her and nudged her hand with her head.

"Hey girl…pretty girl. See, I'm in one piece."

Ember mewed softly and sniffed her all over and Angel chuckled as the doors hissed open again and Garrus walked in.

"What the hell is that?"

"This, is Ember. A black panther. My companion. She's harmless…well to friends. If she ever gets on the battle field I can't say the same thing for Reapers."

Ember yawned, flashing her large white fangs before walking up to Garrus and sniffing at him. She purred softly as she nuzzled his leg and he glanced over at Angel who knelt beside her and scratched her ear.

"See? Like this."

"So…a furry varren."

"Oh goddess no! Don't ever compare my pretty baby with one of them."

She stuck her tongue out at him and laughed as she sat down and Ember trudged over to her pallet where she flopped down. Garrus stood and began working on his calibrations and Angel closed her eyes, relaxing in a few moments of silence.

"So, how have you been?"

She asked softly as she looked up at him.

"Well…before all this I was doing okay. You?"

"Same. Missed you."

"Angel…"

He knelt in front of her and held her face gently in his hands and she looked up at him.

"Yes?"

"I'm so sorry…I'm horrible at keeping contact. And then when I heard the reports about Earth…"

"Shepard…I had to call her for help…if it hadn't been for her…my parents and I wouldn't be alive…"

"Speaking of, are they uhh…?"

"Nope. On the Citadel. You've dodged meeting the parents for a little while longer."

"Hahaha…I do want to meet them but in the middle of all this…not so sure it'd be a good idea."

"No, probably not."

He sat beside her and pulled her into his lap and cradled her close to him and she let out a low sigh.

"You look good. I'm proud of you."

"Well…I wanted to get back out there…and…I wanted to be able to fight with you. I wanted to be by your side always. And…I figured you probably wouldn't…just want a silly little scared girl…"

He tilted her head up to look into her eyes before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Angel, I wouldn't care if you were a refugee in the wards or whatever. I'll love you no matter what."

"I love you too, Garrus."

He smiled at her and ran his fingers over her braids and sighed.

"Please tell me you won't be in the program for long. I miss your hair already."

"Haha…I dunno, I kinda like it short."

"Well, whatever you want. I'm always gonna be with you."

So…what did you think? Did I do okay out there?"

"Yes, you did. Although, taunting them might have made them a bit…upset."

"Heheh. That was the point."

"Silly girl."

~~~~~

Shepard walked into Liara's office and was greeted by the info drone.

"It is a pleasure to see you again Commander."

"You're the info drone from the shadow broker's ship."

"Dr. T'Soni refers to me as Glyph over info drone 95% of the time. If I may direct your attention to this panel here. When you find anything useful, I can research upgrades for you."

"What should I be looking for?"

"I will let you know if you come across anything useful. Now, Dr T'Soni would like a word with you."

He shimmered away and Shepard stepped over to Liara.

"It looks like you brought more than that drone."

"What I could bring. I would be a very silent shadow broker without my resources."

"You can tap into your resources?"

"Some of them. But Shepard…it's been over half a year since the tour of the ship…I was wondering…if you still wanted…"

Shepard thought back on things and smiled. Angel and her had been in contact and Angel had explained that if they still loved one another, they should stay together.

"I haven't forgotten about us Liara. I missed you. I want us to stay together."

"Thank the goddess…I was hoping you would…"

She wrapped herself up in Shepard's embrace and smiled up at her before pulling away.

"Now unfortunately, I must get back to work on research for this device. But perhaps we could talk more later?"

"I'd like that. See you then Liara."

~~~~~

The Normandy docked at the Citadel and Angel pulled out a collar and leash and placed them on Ember who mewed excitedly.

"Wanna go see Mom and Dad? Huh girl?"

She purred and licked Angel's face and she laughed as she looked up at Garrus.

"I'll join you once I meet up with them, okay? I'll see what I can do to help your wounded."

"Right. I just…"

"Hey now…your dad and sister are fine. I know it."

She hugged him gently and she felt him relax as he slid his arms around her.

"You always seem to know how to calm anyone."

"Shep said I had a knack for it. Now come on. Your men need you and my parents will have a meltdown if I don't get there soon."

~~~~~

Shepard followed Angel and Ember, who was basically pulling Angel along as soon as the elevator opened on the Presidium.

"She's got Mom and Dad's scents down."

Angel giggled as they got a few stares and even some dodging off to the sides as they walked to the apartments and up the right side of stairs. Ember pawed at the first door on the left and Angel laughed as she opened it and walked inside.

"Mama, Daddy! We're here!"

"Well, aren't you two a sight for sore eyes?"

Their mother walked out from the kitchen and hugged the two of them tightly before Ember jumped on her and licked her face.

"Yes you big fluff ball, I missed you too. John! Your daughters are here!"

Their father, Johnathan, walked out from an office and embraced the two of them before petting Ember's head.

"I know you two don't have much time so we just thought a quick lunch and catching up would be alright."

"Yea. Mom's cooking, eh Shep? Been forever for ya."

"I have missed your cooking Cassie…Mom."

"After all this time you still slip. You are always going to be my second daughter though haha."

The four of them sat down at the dining table and ate and chatted for a bit while Ember sat off to the side, gnawing happily on a large chunk of meat.

"Dears, we both do have a question."

Cassie said softly as Shepard was in mid bite of her potato salad and Angel was getting thirds of her mom's homemade hamburgers.

"Hmm?"

"When are we going to get to meet Liara and Garrus? I know with so much going on things are complicated but we would like to meet those who are making our babies happy."

"Well…we don't have shore leave anytime soon but maybe when we do?"

Angel exchanged looks with Shepard who nodded.

"That sounds good to me. We'll send an email when that happens and we'll figure it out from there."

"Good. We love you two very much and want to make sure you're both as happy as you can be. You need that in all this."

Cassie grasped John's hand and he smiled at the three of them.

"Your mother is right. And I do have to be the intimidating father."

Shepard and Angel laughed at the thought of him standing up to Garrus in the hopes of scaring him if he ever broke Angel's heart.

"Daddy, just go easy on Liara. She's a sweetheart and she treats Shepard good."

"Well, what about this Garrus fella? Shepard, does he treat Angel good?"

"He does. I've known him since I first became a Specture. He's a strong person and he cares deeply for Angel. He'll keep her safe."

"Alright. Well, why not take some for the road girls? I hear you have a friend in the hospital and Angel is helping those down in the holding area?"

"Yea, we do. Thanks Mom and Dad."

~~~~~

Shepard stepped out of the elevator, waving at Angel and Ember before walking into the hospital and heading for Kaiden's room. Inside was Udina standing beside his bed.

"I need an answer Major."

"I just need a little while longer to think it over."

They both looked up and saw Shepard walk in, and Udina took that as his cue to leave.

"Shepard."

"Udina."

"Hey, Commander. You just missed snack time. Actually probably a good thing."

"Good to see you awake."

"Yea. I'm getting antsy though. You can't see it Commander but I'm strapped to this bed with medical red tape. The Doc says I'm good to go but then there's always one more test…"

"You want me to bust you out?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Just focus on getting better. We need you at 100% okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

~~~~~

Angel lead Ember along before seeing Garrus and a few other Turians and she jogged over.

"Garrus, I'm here."

He looked down at her and nodded before leading her around and showing her who needed the most medical attention.

"There's…more dead than alive. With luck, a few of them may be able to get back to the fight…others…"

"Hey, you're doing your best. And I will too. Go on and do what you need to do. I got this."

She smiled reassuringly at him and Ember nuzzled his hand and he scratched her ear gently before walking off to talk with a few other Turians. Shepard walked over a few minutes later and Angel nodded in greeting before focusing again.

"How you all holding up?"

"It's like I was telling Angel…more dead than alive. And with any luck some can get back to it."

"All we can do is hope for the best."

"What about you, I'm starting to see some wear and tear."

"I've felt better."

"Well, don't forget to come up for air. There's a lot more war to go through before this is over."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N~Yes, I know, I've been gone forever. I've sorta drifted away from ff and yea. But, I'm gonna do my best to get back to it.

CW for mentions of sexual assault

The Normandy docked at the Citadel and Shepard rolled her shoulders as she stepped out with Liara and Garrus.

"I've gotta go check on some things and then check in on Kadian. I'll meet you at the café?"

Shepard looked at Liara who nodded and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, I'll see you in a little while."

"Garrus?"

"I figured I'd go see Angel."

They all walked over to the elevator and after Liara stepped off Garrus looked at Shepard.

"Shepard, can I be honest with you?"

"Well, you're one of my best friends and my sister's boyfriend. I guess so."

She grinned at him and he chuckled, shaking his head.

"I…well, this is embarrassing but, if I were to get Angel a…promise ring, would she like it? Or would it be too stupid?"

"Garrus. She'd love it."

"You think so?"

"I know so. She was always big into jewelry and such. She still wears the pendent I bought for her when we were like, 13? A promise ring from her first actual boyfriend? She'll treasure it forever. And I think she could use it in the middle of all this. I…just hope we can all fulfill that sort of stuff."

"Me too. It looks bleak."

"Yea. Hey, how about you and I go to that small department store upstairs? I think I'll get something for Liara."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

~~~~~~

Angel yawned as she typed away at the console in front of her, making notes of one of the turians that had just came in. She had lost track of time, not knowing how long she had been working in the docking bay, saving who she could as refugees came in droves. She was one of three doctors in the docking bay while others stayed in the hospital. Ember sat a few feet away, playing with a few children who were throwing her stuffed rabbit to chase and 'hunt' and Angel smiled. She had often dreamed of a family of her own. Getting married, a few kids, expanding on her parents' house after they passed, even getting a medical clinic out in their little town. She paused as she thought of the reapers. Would she be able to even live a normal life with Garrus?

A hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see Marcus, a turian doctor who smiled gently at her.

"Angel, you've been at this for 42 hours. Go get some rest."

"42 hours?"

"Yes. Now go. We got this for a while."

Angel nodded and whistled for Ember, much to the dismay of the children.

"She'll be back to play in a few hours. I promise."

Angel knelt in front of them and smiled, holding her pinky out for a little girl, who hooked her pinky with Angel's and the kids giggled. Angel stood and walked to the elevator with Ember at her side, humming softly. She stepped inside and rode it up to the Presidium and her omni tool pinged. She opened up the email from Shepard that simply asked if she could meet at Apollo's Café. She replied with an okay and jogged up to her parent's apartment, dropping Ember off and grabbing her dad's old hoodie, wrapping it around herself.

"Mama, Dad, I'll be back in an hour. Shep wants to meet at the café."

"Be safe dear. You've been working so hard."

Her mother kissed her forehead and she nodded, pulling the hood over her head and jogged back downstairs and headed for the café. She headed down the other flight of stairs and headed into the café and saw Shepard, Liara, and Garrus at a small table and walked over, plopping down between Garrus and Shepard and leaned against her sister.

"I'm so exhausted and I didn't even realize I worked for over 40 hours."

She groaned as Shepard rubbed her head.

"You gonna be alright?"

"Yea. I told Mom and Dad I'll only be gone an hour. And it better be only an hour or they'll come hunting. Daddy sees it in my eyes. They're worried about us. You should come back with me so they can check you over and reassure themselves."

"I will."

Angel smiled weakly and looked up at Garrus and snuggled into him, sighing softly.

"Please tell me you're buying me food. I'm starving."

"Of course."

Garrus chuckled, rubbing her shoulder as he held her close.

"Sis, is that Dad's old hoodie?"

"Mmhmm. I left my N7 hoodie on The Normandy so I grabbed Dad's. I've been getting cold easily here lately. I really hope I'm not sick. Bleh."

"You better not. You won't be able to fight even a husk if you're not feeling good."

"Oh bite me."

Angel flipped her off before pulling the hood over her head and face and laying her head on the table.

Their food soon arrived and Angel ate slowly, talking with her friends and smiling, the four of them able to forget about the invasion for a moment. After they finished, Angel snuggled into Garrus, the two of them whispering and laughing together and Shepard studied them. She shared a smile with Liara, the two of them happy for Angel.

Shepard had worried for Angel since they were children, afraid something would happen to her. And when something did happen to her, it made Shepard all the more protective. When they went into the N7 Program together, Shepard kept a watchful eye on her. And when she failed, Shepard did her best to still watch her. But as she grew, she didn't need her to watch so close. And now, she had Garrus to keep her safe.

"Well, now what should we do? I still got about 15 minutes before I have to go crash at Mom and Dad's apartment and then it's back to work."

Angel stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

"Ang…I have something for you."

Garrus turned to face her and handed her a small box and she blushed softly, looking up at him. She opened it and gasped and Shepard nudged Liara, the two excited.

"It's a promise ring. I'm making a promise here and now that we are going to have a future together. I love you Angel."

She pulled it out of the box, admiring the silver band, running her finger over their initials, AH&GV. She slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling into his neck.

"It's beautiful. I love it and you."

"I love you too."

He pushed his forehead against hers and she kissed him gently before her omni tool pinged.

"That's time…I gotta go nap. I love you guys."

She hugged the three of them and walked off, heading back upstairs.

Shepard exchanged looks with Liara and Garrus before handing a box to Liara.

"You didn't."

"I did. I want to make my own promise. Garrus and I agree, you and Angel make our lives better. I love you Liara."

"I love you too, Shepard."

The two embraced and kissed one another and Garrus smiled.

~~~~~~

Angel hissed in pain, lifting her shirt and examining her scar in the mirror. The memory played over in her mind, the doors being blown open, her flying through the air and slamming into one of the tables, taking one of the knobs from a scanner into her side. Raising her pistol and doing what she could but not enough, then darkness as she was slammed against the wall by a collector. She snapped out of the memory and stumbled back, falling to the floor with a thud.

"Angel?"

Her mother called worriedly.

"Sorry Mama. I'm fine. I tripped."

She replied, rubbing her eyes.

Ember mewed quietly and scratched at the door, making Cassie stand and walk over, cracking it open to see Angel on the floor, sobbing quietly.

"Angel dear…"

Cassie opened the door and knelt beside her and cradled her as Angel sobbed, louder now, clinging to her mother as Ember ran into John's office and tugged on his sleeve, pulling him into the bathroom.

"John, get her medication."

Cassie said calmly as Ember nuzzled into Angel, her body glowing blue, her biotics ready to bust out. John reached into the medicine cabinet and grabbed a syringe, before kneeling beside her and injecting it into her shoulder. Her sobs calmed almost instantly before she passed out in her mother's arms.

A knock at the door made John stand and walk over, opening it to see Shepard on the other side.

"Shep…come in."

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"It's your sister. She had a panic attack…"

Shepard brushed past him and walked into the bathroom where she knelt beside Cassie and Angel, scanning over her with her omni tool.

"Her scar is…acting up. It might be infected. We should get her down to the hospital."

"Shepard, you know we can't…she…"

"I know. But right now she needs serious medical attention. We'll keep it under wraps."

"Right. Let's get her there."

~~~~~~~

Angel groaned, blinking against the harsh light before Shepard's green eyes met her blue ones.

"S-sissy? What…?"

"Don't try and move. You had a panic attack. And there's a pretty aggressive infection on your scar."

"What? Oh…I…I'm at the hospital…no no…"

"Calm down. I pulled some strings so word doesn't get out why you're here."

"Shep…thank you."

"You feeling okay?"

"I…I dunno…I…I was reliving the collector attack…"

"Angel…Mom and Dad said you've been neglecting your sessions."

"Because I thought I was getting better. And…especially here lately since my doctor is sorta dead. It didn't seem that important especially since I had Ember and the nightmares were gone…I thought it was all over…"

She sniffled, trying hard not to cry as Shepard stroked her hair.

"Hey, remember what you told me? You always let me lean on you. You know you can lean on me and ask for help."

"I was scared because you're always so busy and already have enough stress…"

"We're sisters first. I'm Commander Shepard second. Family is always first."

"I'm sorry. Are Mom and Dad okay?"

"They're fine. They stayed with you until you were cleared and then went back to the apartment after I assured them I'd take care of you."

"I'm such a trouble maker, aren't I?"

"That you are. Angel…have you told Garrus?"

"No. I…I can't bring myself to."

"Angel, he should know."

"And exactly how do you expect me to tell him? Oh Garrus, by the way, I'm a fucking psychopath when I'm off my meds and have panic attacks. I'll go nuts and my biotics fluctuate out of total control and I might kill people."

"He'll find out someday. It'd be better to tell him."

"I just…it was hard enough telling you…I just…I'm scared shitless…"

Shepard rubbed her back before her omni tool pinged. She glanced at the email before looking at Angel who raised an eyebrow.

"He's worried because we're not back on The Normandy. Angel, this is as good a time as any…"

"I…you're right of course but I'm still so scared…"

Shepard clutched her hand before sending an email telling him Angel was in the hospital and she wanted to speak to him in private.

"I'll be right outside, okay? I'm gonna go wait for him. It's gonna be fine."

Angel chewed her bottom lip as she nodded slowly, trying to control her breathing as Shepard stepped out to wait for Garrus. The door hissed open a few minutes later and he was by her side, looking her over and she smiled up at him, amazed at how much he cared. She hoped that made a difference when she told him. He sat down beside her, clutching her hand in his, studying her.

"Shepard said you wanted to tell me something?"

"I…it's really hard to talk about…especially to you…when Shep and I were kids…we snuck out once."

 _"Come on Angel!"_

 _"Jane, is this a good idea? Mom and Dad will kill us if we get caught…"_

 _"Well, then we better be careful."_

 _Angel gripped Shepard's hand tightly as she followed her through the fields and over the meadow and into town. They were 14 at that time, freshmen in high school. Shepard had quickly made it in with the 'cool kids' and had gotten an invite to a party and had asked if Angel could come with in an attempt to make friends. Angel had been reluctant but finally agreed, not wanting to embarrass Shepard._

 _They snuck past a patrolling police officer and into the backyard of one of the football players, Jake or something, and Shepard knocked twice. The door creaked open and the two were ushered inside and Angel looked around nervously as Shepard let her hand go and stepped into the living room where soft music was playing. Everyone was drinking and seemed to be getting high off of numerous drugs and Angel wrapped her arms around herself before sitting beside Shepard who had joined a couple of the cheerleaders, gossiping and laughing._

 _Angel lost track of time as she slowly became sociable, joining in with the talks, even snuggling up to one of the jocks, though his name escaped her. Everyone was drinking and after several people had passed out, Angel and the unnamed jock were alone in one of the bedrooms. Her head was in a haze but she knew well enough that she didn't want sex, which is clearly what he wanted as he groped her roughly._

 _"S-stop…I'm…I don't want it…quit…"_

 _She weakly shoved at him and he kissed her neck, laughing._

 _"Shh…come on, I'm one of the coolest guys in school. Just think, you sleep with me and your reputation will skyrocket."_

 _"No…I'm not…like that…I won't be just…some lay for you…to boost your ego."_

 _He pushed her back onto the bed and straddled her, pinning her arms above her head, pushing her into the mattress as he kissed her._

 _"You don't have a choice…"_

 _The last thing she remembered before passing out was her pants being slid off her legs._

 _"Angel, are you awake?"_

 _She groaned, her head pounding as she blinked against the harsh light. She tried moving but felt herself strapped down to a bed. Her eyes flew open now and she saw the faces of her parents and Shepard._

 _"W-what…? What happened?"_

 _"Angel…you…"_

 _Cassie gasped softly, her eyes red, indication she had been crying long and hard. John rubbed his forehead and Shepard refused to look up from her lap._

 _"What happened to me…?"_

 _"Jane, tell her."_

 _John's voice was firm, telling Angel he was angry. She knew they had been very obviously caught but why was she in the hospital, strapped down no less? Shepard finally looked up and sighed softly._

 _"You screamed. I heard you scream. It woke everyone up and we all ran into the room to see…he raped you Angel. Two of the other guys pulled him off and tossed him aside but…something…Angel, your biotics went fucking crazy. You picked him up and slammed him around and…killed him. It freaked everyone out so one of the girls called police and…once I explained they brought you here instead of jail…"_

 _"I'm strapped down so I don't use my biotics…"_

 _"They wanted to make sure you had calmed before letting you go. I'll go get the doctor."_

 _Her mother stood and kissed her forehead before shuffling out of the room._

 _"Dad…please don't be mad at Jane…please…this isn't her fault."_

 _"I expected better from both you. What happened shouldn't have…my poor baby…"_

 _John hugged Angel's head to his chest and she sniffled as she reached for Shepard's hand and squeezed it._

 _"Dad…what's gonna happen to us?"_

 _"Well, I have some pull in the Alliance. We'll seal this. The kids will…be paid for their silence."_

Angel fiddled with her fingers as she took a shuddering breath.

"I went into therapy after that…a lot of testing. I was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and social anxiety. It's why I can't handle large crowds. Ember…Ember isn't just my pet…she's my service animal. She looks out for panic attacks so I don't do that again. The reason I really failed the N7 Program the first time? I nearly filleted my commanding officer. Sure, seeing all that blood made me puke but I had a panic attack in the middle of battle and almost killed him. A lot more sealing and paying people hush money. Everything was tucked away. But, as time went on, I got better. Ember didn't stay with me as often and there were no panic attacks. When Shepard had me brought onto The Normandy, I was doing better. Things didn't bother me. But…when the Collectors attacked…it brought it all back again. When I got home I immediately set up a meeting with my therapist and doctor. My PTSD had returned tenfold so now I was doped up on medication just to be able to sleep. But…Shepard and I talked when she came to visit. She and I both knew the Reaper invasion was unavoidable. It put things in perspective for me. I trained. Got back into shape and reapplied for the Program. It took a lot since the higher ups knew of my records. More tests and paperwork and restrictions to make sure I didn't freak out again. Ember has kept it all in check and so has Shepard. I…I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. It was hard for me to even really open up to Shepard about it."

She didn't look over at him as he sat there silently. Minutes ticked by though it felt like hours to her.

"Angel."

She looked up at her name and Garrus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him. She gasped softly before burying her face into his chest, whimpering softly as he cradled her.

"I don't want you to ever think I'd leave you or turn you away. I gave you that promise ring and I meant it. I love you Angel Hawkeye."

"I love you too Garrus Vakarian."


End file.
